In my earliest memories of the red brick semi detached council house everyday was sunny, we had a back garden that my dad kept tidy with a manual lawn mower and hand shears for the hedges, the front garden was similar but not used as much. I then had to attend school and went to Smallthorne Infants and Junior school of which I have very fond memories before attending Stanfields High School. As a young man I worked and socialised in Smallthorne and my immediate family have stayed local whilst I spent short periods of time living in Biddulph and further afield before returning to Bradeley.

An interest in family history sparked perhaps by a couple of television programmes but I aren’t exactly sure led me not just into researching my family and my surname but also my roots. I found through friends and social networking that I was not the only one to have an interest in my home village and this has added flesh to the bones of my family research.

For more information about the ‘Ashley’ surname and my family history and one-name study please visit ashley-surname.org.uk

Barry Ashley